1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer networks. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for monitoring and sharing statistical information among a plurality of computing nodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
In computer networks that include a plurality of computer systems or nodes, it is often necessary to collect various kinds of statistical information. For example, a node may need to obtain statistical information regarding node resource usage, file access statistics, etc., from other nodes in order to perform various operations or make decisions. The task of storing and obtaining statistical information in a network of nodes can be difficult to perform efficiently. This may be especially true in a peer-to-peer or P2P network.
As used herein, a peer-to-peer network is generally used to describe a decentralized network of peer nodes where each node may have similar capabilities and/or responsibilities. Participating peer nodes in a P2P network may communicate directly with each other. Work may be done and information may be shared through interaction among the peers. In addition, in a P2P network, a given peer node may be equally capable of serving as either a client or a server for another peer node.
A peer-to-peer network may be created to fulfill some specific need, or it may be created as a general-purpose network. Some P2P networks are created to deliver one type of service and thus typically run one application. For example, Napster was created to enable users to share music files. Other P2P networks are intended as general purpose networks which may support a large variety of applications. Any of various kinds of distributed applications may execute on a P2P network. Exemplary peer-to-peer applications include file sharing, messaging applications, distributed processing, etc.
A peer-to-peer network may be especially useful for applications which utilize distributed or shared data, in part because the reliance on centralized servers to access data can be reduced or eliminated. However, the decentralized nature of a peer-to-peer network can also make certain tasks more complicated, such as the sharing of statistical information among nodes in the network.